My brother gave me the Dresden Files on DVD years ago, which I enjoyed and was disappointed that the Syfy series wasn’t continued to a second season. So when I recently learned the show was based on a series of books, I couldn’t wait to read them. I finished the first three in a couple of weeks and am in the middle of book 4, Summer Knight.
The magical side of Chicago as created by Jim Butcher and traversed precariously by the city’s only wizard for hire, Harry Dresden, provides endless entertainment through the main character’s dry, sarcastic, and self-deprecating humor applied liberally to a diverse cast of creatures and characters. As usual, the books provide useful detail that was excluded from the TV show. In Harry’s case this is most evident in the extent of his power and the darkness lurking in his past, very near the surface and always inserting itself into his life to complicate his present.
You can’t help but love Harry’s tendency to throw the finger at the powers that be, which have certainly never been of benefit or assistance to him, even when he needed it most. The depth of Wizard Dresden’s self-sacrifice and refusal to ask for help or to inform others, usually for their own protection in his mind, is extreme and can be annoying at times, especially to an independent woman who wouldn’t need or want his extreme chivalry. However, it’s these same characteristics that get Harry into those amusing predicaments time and again.
In Harry Dresden, a man who can’t stop himself from standing between the innocent and the dark powers that inhabit his magical realm, Mr. Butcher has created a character you can’t help but root for, who grows into his power a little more with each book, someone you want to know and understand better, to watch him prevail not only over his past, but over the dark forces he’s compelled to stand against on behalf of the vulnerable and non-magical. If you require his services, you can find Harry Dresden on Twitter, @HarriedWizard.
Due to the nature of Harry’s adventures, a Storybook Mountain wine would complement them well. I would recommend either the Mayacamas Range or Eastern Exposures Red Zinfandel (shown above). If you have a preference for white wines, their Viognier is also an excellent choice. You can order them at Storybookwines.com.
As you can see, Hershey insisted on helping me with this one. Enjoy, and happy reading!
Shelly Wilbanks 
Myself when reading Dresden I prefer a Kraken and Coke, but when listening on CD I pay attention to my driving and drink coffee.